Trenton Daily
Drew Mumich Read the full article. Trenton Water Works (TWW), the 200-year-old public water system operated by the City of Trenton, has removed 25 percent of lead services (lead pipes) from its water-distribution system, including at private homes. TWW began removal in February 2020 with an inventory of 31,791 lead services in the system. Since then, TWW used four vendors and six publicly awarded contracts to replace 8,008 lead services with safer copper lines in its system and at private homes in Trenton, Hamilton Township, Lawrence Township, and Ewing Township. TWW funds its Lead Service Line Replacement Program (LSLRP) with state grants and loans featuring forgivable principal from the N.J. Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank), which enables municipalities to make critical investments in public infrastructure. To date, TWW’s LSLRP has received $50 million to fund the program’s five phases, $21.5 million of which will be forgiven by the I-Bank. TWW estimates completion of the LSLRP to cost $150 million more over six years. Tama-Toledo News Chronicle
Darvin Graham Read the full article. In their first meeting of the new year the Tama City Council unanimously approved a $98,000 commitment of federal American Rescue Plan funding to a lead water line replacement program. Tama Street Superintendent Stuart Eisentrager addressed the council about the proposed program saying the city has encountered lead water service lines in the past and there is concern there may be more lead lines within the older parts of the city that have not been discovered or replaced. Health risks of lead in drinking water have been identified from exposure of lead into the bloodstream causing damage to the brain and kidneys. It can also interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body and is particularly hazardous to children and pregnant women. Twin Cities Pioneer Press
Bill Salisbury Read the full article. Minnesota cities and local water services will ramp up the removal of underground lead water pipes this year with a slice of the $15 billion in funding over the next five years provided by a bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress and President Joe Biden enacted in November. Lead service lines deliver water to up to 10 million American households — about 7 percent of all residences served by community water services — endangering the health of residents who consume it. Support for removing lead from drinking water has been growing since 2014, when improperly treated water damaged city pipes and released lead into the Flint, Mich., water system. Evanston Roundtable
Adina Keeling Read the full article. A few dozen Evanston residents who took out interest-free city loans to get rid of lead pipes carrying water to their homes are in luck. The Lead Service Replacement Loan Program, which started in 2017, offered assistance to residents with lead service lines that lived in areas impacted by the city’s water main improvement projects. During water main improvement projects, the city automatically replaced lead service lines under public property, but residents were expected to cover the cost of replacing service lines under their own property. The loan program made it easier for homeowners to replace pipes made of the toxic metal, and since its start, 39 residents have taken out a loan. The Morning Journal
Richard Payerchin Read the full article. Cold weather was not slowing down a continuing project to replace sections of lead pipes in Elyria’s city water system. On Jan. 4, crews moved onto Broad Street to dig up and change any lead service lines that carry fresh water from city mains into homes. The work there was part of a process that started last year and will continue as needed. Elyria city water does not have dangerous levels of lead in it, said Samuel F. Jacob, water team leader. However, Mayor Frank Whitfield, Safety-Service Director Kevin Brubaker, the city administration and Water Distribution Department want to be proactive in taking out lead pipes before it is required by law, Jacob said. The Repository
Paige Bennett Read the full article. SEBRING – The village plans to replace the majority of lead water service lines this spring. During an upcoming water service line replacement project, roughly 250 lead lines located at residential properties in Sebring will be upgraded to copper. Mayor James Harp said in an email that most of the lead lines in Sebring will be removed by the conclusion of the project, though some might remain at properties where homeowners did not respond to the village's notices about line inspections. Harp said the replacements will come at no cost to homeowners, and will result in minor service interruptions. Three Rivers Commercial News
Robert Tomlinson Read the full article. THREE RIVERS — A project to identify where lead water service lines are in Three Rivers took another step forward at Tuesday’s Three Rivers City Commission meeting. Commissioners approved a $264,901 contract with White Cloud, Mich.-based B&B Environmental Services, LLC to perform hydro excavating as part of a Distribution Systems Materials Inventory project to determine water service line materials in the city. The service will be paid for using the $274,000 Drinking Water Asset Management grant the city received from the State of Michigan back in August. 93.7 FM WGIL
Read the full article. Galesburg City Council authorized a forgivable loan on Monday night that will eventually replace the last of Galesburg’s lead water service lines. As they have several times in recent years, the Council on Monday voted to borrow $2 million from the IEPA through the Water Supply Loan Program to replace lead service lines. Once the project is completed the IEPA will forgive the entire amount of the loan. It’s estimated the $2 million would replace 450 -500 service lines. City Manager Todd Thompson also reports that Phase 4 of the service line replacement has been completed and they’re working through Phase 5. Council also approved a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Works to sign loan documents for lead service line replacements. |
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April 2023
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